Travel Goals – Emma's Bucket Listhttps://emmasbucketlist.com
...because life isn't a dress rehearsalSun, 07 Jul 2013 23:16:18 +0000en
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1 http://wordpress.com/https://secure.gravatar.com/blavatar/c286bf200d8460ec6999934be49fb982?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fbuttonw-com.pngTravel Goals – Emma's Bucket Listhttps://emmasbucketlist.com
How to See the Northern Lightshttps://emmasbucketlist.com/2013/07/07/see-the-northern-lights/
https://emmasbucketlist.com/2013/07/07/see-the-northern-lights/#commentsSun, 07 Jul 2013 21:20:44 +0000http://emmasbucketlist.com/?p=3246I have been fascinated The Northern Lights have me ever since I have known about them. It’s hard to imagine seeing the night sky alight with streaks of colour dancing like some amazing freak-of-nature induced acid trip. Like many others-this has featured high on my bucket list for a long time. This desire was reignited again recently by the beautiful description that a close family friend explained gave of the phenomena to her son when she described them as ‘a glorious visual feast‘ and ‘a concert in the sky‘. These descriptions lit a burning desire inside me to bear witness to it.

What are the Northern Lights?

In the northern hemisphere, we call it the Aurora Borealis (while the southern gets the Aurora Australis). From the Earth, it looks like great multicoloured ribbons dancing slowly and provocatively across the sky… From space, it is clear that something interesting is happening in Earth’s atmosphere:

The incredible temperatures and energies of the Sun ionise matter, and send charged particles hurtling through space towards us at thousands of kilometers per second. Earth’s magnetic field bends these charged particles, meaning that, for the most part, our planet deflects this harmful solar radiation safely away from Earth… Except, that is, near the North and South magnetic poles, where those field lines all appear to enter/exit our planet. And whenever the Sun emits a solar flare or sends packets of radiation hurtling towards us, Earth’s magnetic poles act as funnels, pulling the charged particles into the upper atmosphere in a ring around the magnetic poles! As these particles enter the atmosphere, they’re energetic enough that they knock electrons off of their atoms in the atmosphere, causing the light shows.

A Great example of the range of colours you might be able to see if you witness a period of high solar activity

Why are some displays just Green, but others are multicoloured?

As the electrons enter the earth’s upper atmosphere, they will encounter atoms of oxygen and nitrogen at altitudes from 20 to 200 miles above the earth’s surface. The color of the aurora depends on which atom is struck, and the altitude of the meeting.

Red – oxygen, above 150 miles in altitude

Green – oxygen, up to 150 miles in altitude

Purple/violet – nitrogen, above 60 miles in altitude

Blue – nitrogen, up to 60 miles in altitude

The most common colours seen are Green and red because that is the first part of the atmosphere the particles encounter, with less and less particles reaching the lower altitudes, so that blue is the rarest colour to be seen, and only during periods of high solar activity. The colours also blend to create a range of other colours and shades. The green and red create yellow light when they mix, and sometimes pinks are also visible. I could write pages about the science of aurora, but I am aware that this post is already going to be epic enough without that (if you want to understand it a little better, this videoexplains it in more detail). This time lapse video gives you an amazing flavour of the Northern Lights at their most impressive…

Be warned, it will set your hopes high:

In reality, if you are lucky enough by some chance to see them… You are far more likely to see something like this:

Realistic expectation of what most people see when they say they’ve seen the Northern Lights

We failed to see them when we visited Finish Lapland on a Santa tripbefore Christmas, which only served to increase my appetite to see them further. In honesty, seeing the lights is not an ideal family holiday activity to plan if you have young children in tow… Mainly becausethe optimum conditions for viewing the lights tend to be:

Between 10pm – 3am (i.e: when most children are tucked up in bed)

Above the Polar Circle (i.e: where the frigid temperatures are hard for little ones to tolerate for long)

Away from light pollution (i.e: away from civilisation)

I researched at great length where the best places to view the Northern Lights are… Not all places that sell Northern Lights trips are equally good for seeing them. For most people, a Northern Lights trip is a once in a lifetime type of trip, not least because it is hugely expensive! I know so many people who have been on trips to see the Northern Lights, but have come home disappointed (myself included). However, with a little bit of research, you can maximise your chances of observing them… Location Location Location So why did I choose Sweden?

Several factors need to come together to allow us to view a Northern Lights Display:

Clear Skies – Clouds will block a display from view, even if it is present above them.

Low Light Pollution – Lights from a town, or even a full moon will diminish your chances to witness this phenomenon.

Be at a very Northerly Latitude (ideally above the Arctic Circle) – This is where the most activity is visible.

High Solar Activity – Without solar wind, there are no lights. Solar activity generally runs in 11-12 year cycles. 2012-2013 was meant to be the peak of that cycle, so the next 2 winter seasons will also be good statistically.

Temperature/Weather: I decided against going transatlantic to see them in Canada or Alaska for several reasons. Time to travel there and jet lag, I wanted to see them in a Scandinavian/Nordic environment and also Canada and Alaska are vastly colder at the same latitudes than Scandinavia (because the warm gulf stream (North Atlantic Drift) passes to the East of Greenland and heads East to Norway delivering some of its heat to Norway. Greenland however gets the freezing westerly winds blowing straight from the Arctic circle) making Scandinavia the less harsh environment prom a practical stand point! I also chose March because this was the time of the mildest weather, which would give us the best chances for clear skies.

Latitude: I ruled out Iceland because although it’s possible to witness them there, it isn’t actually in The Arctic Circle, and a lot of the trips sold there are near to large cities with lots of light pollution meaning that you only have small windows to view it during special excursions during the trip.

Geographical Location/Micro-climate:

Micro Climate, Rain Shadow

If you are likely to be in a mountainous region, this can work for you or against you depending on certain criteria. For example, in Saariselkä, Finland (where we went in December) the mountainous area causes a microclimate that means you tend to see more rain/snow/cloud there than other areas on the opposite side of the mountain range… It is the same for the area of Norway on the opposite side of the mountain range to Abisko, where we stayed. Abisko however, is in a favourable microclimate called a ‘Rain Shadow‘

Photograhy:

I ruled out a Northern Lights Cruise, because whilst this would undoubtedly offer some of the best conditions to see the lights in, we also wanted to photograph the lights. It is difficult to photograph the aurora without a decent SLR camera and a tripod, as you need to expose the image for a considerable length of time in order to get the best image. Even an amateur photographer knows that slight camera shake would reduce the quality of any pictures, making them blurry-so bobbing about at sea was not going to be ideal.

Shortlist:

The 2 places that seemed to offer the best options as far as I could tell were Tromso in Norway and Abisko in Sweden… Both of these places have Northern Lights observatory stations which are specially dedicated to aurora viewing. In the end, we opted for Sweden because of it’s proximity to The ICEHOTEL, the World’s first, and largest ice hotel which was another item on My Bucket List. According to the scientists at IRF in Kiruna you have about an 80% of seeing the auroras (near Abisko) if you stay in the area for at least 3 days. I wanted to maximise the opportunities to see the lights, so this was pretty compelling for me… We also decided to do it fairly promptly as this year was meant to be the peak of the solar/aurora activity.

Aurora Notification

Aurora Sky Station Live Camera Feed Image

One thing I think is particularly good about the Abisko Sky station, is their Live Website Camera Feed. You can watch this at any time to see what is happening there. We often watched it from the hotel bar, when we became too cold to stand out in the cold night air in anticipation of the lights, and would duck out if they started to appear on the screen. My partner’s parent’s stayed at a great hotel in Norway that also had an ‘Aurora Warning System’ in place, where all guests were allocated a beeper that would go off when the aurora was visible so that guests didn’t have to sit in the freezing cold all night in vain hope of seeing them. I think this is a fantastic idea-and I can’t understand why more hotels in the region haven’t cottoned onto this idea yet!

Our Experience

Unfortunately, the solar activity wasn’t massive when we went.

Bloody typical!

As such, we weren’t treated to the type of display that lights up the night sky so brilliantly that even the people with naff camera phones able to snap a picture of it… Typically – Just a week before we visited, the display was so bright that the night sky was lit up as bright as if it were day time! Whilst we didn’t see a dazzling display like this, the elusive Northern Lights did thankfully put in an appearance for us though.

When we first saw the aurora; I wasn’t sure if we were looking at the Northern Lights or not. It looked like a hazy green(ish) wispy looking smoke trail across the sky. The image that it conjured was less ‘WOW’ and reminded me more of pollution to be honest. It was a little disappointing. Especially since everyone else there seemed to be really thrilled about it.

BIG ANTI-CLIMAX.

Then they disappeared as the sky clouded over again. After waiting for several hours we decided to hit the sack, but before we peeled off all of our clothing layers, my partner insisted we nipped out for one last hopeful peek before we gave up. We were rewarded with a much brighter arc of pale green light stretching across the expanse of the sky. It still looked quite smokey to the naked eye, but it was discernibly light and green. We ventured out to a remote clearing with the camera and left the shutter open for 30 seconds…

We waited for the image to process with baited breath, and finally, the image popped up-there on the camera screen was the kind of image you see in the Northern Lights trip brochures! …An attention-grabbing, bright neon-green streak across the night sky! You could even make out faint red and yellow lights that are rarer to witness at higher altitudes. these had not been visible to the naked eye at all-but of course the camera was able to absorb far more light in 30 seconds than our own eyes can in real time, meaning that the images look very dramatic compared to what we were really able to observe without the aid of a lens.

This was a mixed reaction for me… On the one side I felt ecstatic and privileged to have finally witnessed the aurora borealis. There was definitely a WOW feeling, but a little part of me felt like I did as a child when I opened the Christmas gift I had yearned for and dreamt about for months on end, only to learn that batteries were not included and I’d have to wait until after Christmas to be able to use the damn thing. Short sold. Part of me wondered if that’s all people ever saw, though we were assured by other people on the trip that this was not the case. It also makes me wonder just how those stunning images from all of the pictures really look to the naked human eye behind the lens of the professional images. So whilst I can say I have officially ticked this item off my list-I still honestly lust after another chance to see the lights in their fullest, most-glorious, sky-concert, show-off best. Call me Oliver Twist!

Other posts you might Like:

Visit Abisko National Park, Sweden

Stay at The ICEHOTEL, Sweden

Drink Vodka in an ICEBAR

Husky Racing / Dog Sledding in Lapland

Visit the Real Santa in Lapland!

Longest Toboggan run in Lapland!

]]>https://emmasbucketlist.com/2013/07/07/see-the-northern-lights/feed/15Northern Lights in AbiskoemmasbucketlistNorthern Lights over orange tentAurora over Earth, taken from the International Space Station.NASA's Satellite Image of the Aurora Austrealis (Southern Lights) over the Antactic Polar regionA Great example of the range of colours you might be able to see if you witness a period of high solar activityNorthern Lights ColoursRealistic expectation of what most people see when they say they've seen the Northern LightsMicro Climate, Rain Shadow Aurora Sky Station Live Camera Feed ImageVisit Abisko National Park, SwedenStay at The ICEHOTEL, SwedenDrink Vodka in an ICEBARHusky Racing / Dog Sledding in LaplandVisit the Real Santa in Lapland!The TOP of the Run Saariselkä, Finland's Longest Toboggan RunVisit Abisko National Park, Swedenhttps://emmasbucketlist.com/2013/04/22/visit-abisko-national-park-sweden/
https://emmasbucketlist.com/2013/04/22/visit-abisko-national-park-sweden/#commentsMon, 22 Apr 2013 22:51:37 +0000http://emmasbucketlist.com/?p=3242

Enjoying the best of Sweden’s Natural Beauty at Abisko National Park

If you have read my recent two posts, you will know that I recently visited theICEHOTEL and ICEBAR in Sweden. After this, we headed North to Abisko National Park with a view to catching a glimpse of the evasive Northern Lights. We were lucky enough to do just this (see my next post).

Frozen River, Abisko National Park

Abisko National Park is one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights. It is a 77 km² national park in Swedish Lapland famous for its natural beauty, Nordic wildlife and is a hot (cold) spot for winter adventures as well as summer hiking in the midnight sun.

We stayed at Abisko Mountain Station, a classic lodge situated in the most Northern part of Swedish Lapland – 250 km north of the Arctic Circle. It sits at the foot of the Mountain where the Aurora Sky Station is situated, and offers breathtaking panoramic vistas over the national park.

Abisko is the start of Sweden’s best known skiing and hiking route – the 440 km long the King’s Trail (Kungsleden). This location meant that we really did get to see some of the best of Sweden’s Winter beauty and nature.

A moose that we saw at the road side in Abisko

On our first day there it snowed and due to the very rural location, there was really nothing to do. The weather was too rubbish to see or do much, there were no buses, taxis or shops near by, and the wifi signal was almost non existent unless you sat in exactly the right position in the guest lounge. It was the worst start to our Abisko trip.

The forecast was for continued rain over the coming days, but thankfully Abisko is situated in a ‘rain shaddow’ which basically means that its location in the mountains mean that it gets less rain than surrounding areas, often defying poor weather forecasts.

On our first night, due to a lack of public transport (trains only) and a desire to eat at The Abisko Mountain Lodge a couple of miles away, our only choice was to walk there. It was well worth the walk though; the food was beautiful and we stumbled upon a fantastic location to snap pictures of The Northern Lights. The food was wonderful too. We ate a Walnut and Goats cheese Salad followed by a Moose and Reindeer patty; good Swedish food. The restaurant was much cosier than the one in the Mountain station too. The bill was less welcome. Sweden is massively expensive, and the bill came to almost £120 for two of us to enjoy a two course meal and a couple of alcoholic beverages, and this was pitched as hostel accommodation!

Winter sun low in the Nordic sky at 11:00am

Me at the bird observatory by the Lake, Abisko National Park

The next morning, we woke to brilliant sunshine! We ate our breakfast, threw on our ski suits and went hiking. The scenery was just incredible… The air was so crisp and fresh, and the scenery was just beautiful. Four hours literally melted away as we hiked through the mountainous area, gazed upon an enormous frozen lake, canyons and fjords, waterfalls that were frozen in motion so that they looked like nature had ‘paused’ them for the winter.

It was just amazing to absorb Sweden’s natural beauty at it’s Arctic best under blue skies, with its lazy low-laying winter sunshine reflected from every snow covered expanse like a sea of tiny sparkly diamonds.

We didn’t feel cold at all in the sunshine and there was a peaceful, still air. It was really lovely to explore the park together and recharge our batteries by sharing some much-deserved quality time together as a couple-a bit of a rare treat as any parent of young children will appreciate!

Abisko, Sky Station Chair Lift

It is also possible to ski in Abisko if you are a decent off-piste skier who has a penchant for heli-skiing (which I am not unfortunately-or that would definitely have tickled my fancy)… The Aurora Sky Station chair lift also doubles as the ski lift during daylight hours, but the only alpine ski routes were very narrow red and black runs unfortunately

Frozen Water in motion

After lunch, we went to bed to get some sleep in excited anticipation of standing under clear start nights sky of aurora gazing up at the Aurora from the Sky Station up at the top of mountain… We woke in the late afternoon to gale force winds, and a snow storm unfortunately… My next post will discuss our ‘not quite to plan’ Northern Lights experience.

Useful Tips and Points to note if planning a visit to Abisko:

Unlike other Lapland resorts we visited in Finland and Sweden, this resort didn’t have full hire of arctic suits included in your lodge booking (though it is included in any visits up to the Aurora Sky Station). They were available to hire at additional cost.

Same applies to snow boots.

There are no buses or taxis available in Abisko. The nearest taxi company is in Kiruna (over an hour away). The only public transport is the train line (which stops right outside Abisko Turiststation.

Ensure you take your camera/phone charger with you, as batteries drain REALLY quickly in arctic temperatures.

Take hand warmers to insert into your gloves at night or during very cold activities like husky sledding.

]]>https://emmasbucketlist.com/2013/04/22/visit-abisko-national-park-sweden/feed/3Abisko National Park, SwedenemmasbucketlistUs at Abisko National ParkFrozen River, Abisko National ParkA moose that we saw at the road side in AbiskoRain Shadow Emma at Abisko National ParkMe at the bird observatory by the Lake, Abisko National ParkAbisko Chair LiftFrozen Water in motionPanoramic Shot of the Lake at Abisko National ParkNorthern Lights over orange tentStay at The ICEHOTEL, SwedenDrink Vodka in an ICEBARHusky Racing / Dog Sledding in LaplandVisit the Real Santa in Lapland!The TOP of the Run Saariselkä, Finland's Longest Toboggan RunDrink Vodka in an Ice Barhttps://emmasbucketlist.com/2013/04/17/drink-in-an-ice-bar/
https://emmasbucketlist.com/2013/04/17/drink-in-an-ice-bar/#commentsTue, 16 Apr 2013 23:35:01 +0000http://emmasbucketlist.com/?p=3194

ICEHOTEL Sweden by night. The darker blue arches on the left are UNIQUE ICEBAR

ICEBAR London

Having a drink in an ice bar first made it onto my bucket list a few years ago after my friend, Tina, posted pictures of her visit to The Absolut Ice Bar in London. I had not realised that these places existed outside of cold countries! My partner was less excited, and refused the London bar, the Orlando Bar and the Las Vegas Bars when we found them on holiday. He reasoned that if he was going to do it-he wanted to do it in an ice hotel, or at least somewhere very cold where it was fitting to do so. I think he had a a fair point in retrospect.

We did almost go to the one in Vegas until we realised that they would not let you take pictures in there. I definitely wanted to be able to immortalise the experience in pictures.

Our first round of drinks, and the Drinks Menu

During our visit to The ICEHOTEL in Sweden we were able to visit UNIQUE ICE BAR, which was the largest ICEBAR in the world. The entire place and it’s contents are made of ice and snow, even the glasses are made of ice! The bar was lit with LEDs that were actually frozen into the ice (as LEDs don’t emit enough heat to melt the ice).

My partner standing at the ICEBAR under the Chandelier made of ICEBAR glasses (over 200)

UNIQUE ICEBAR, ICEHOTEL 23 (2013) Sweden, Lit up by LEDs

The ICEBAR experience

When you order your first drink, you have to first buy the ice glass for 25 SEK (about £2.50 GBP), the drinks were a further 85SEK (about £8.00-YIKES!). This isn’t just ICEBAR though, Scandinavia is exceptionally expensive for alcoholic beverages!

You can order as many drink refills as you wanted in the same glass until either you abandoned the glass at the end of the night, or it melts with your body’s heat. Most drinks were vodka based, since vodka wont freeze.

After 3 drinks, The heat from my lips had worn the rim of my glass pretty thin. I think 5 drinks would have been about the maximum before it started to look like the glass was smiling back at me.

Why the UNIQUE ICEBAR at ICEHOTEL might better than other ice bars:

There was no time limit imposed on visits like there are in other ice bars (the one in London restricts you to a 20 minute visit)

It is the biggest in the world.

It’s in an ICEHOTEL and not just in the basement of a building in a warmer country

ICEHOTEL give you proper Arctic snowsuits to wear instead of the flimsy ICEBAR capes that you still freeze in during visits to other bars

You can take as many pictures as you want

Why UNIQUE ICEBAR might not be better than other ICEBARS:

At £8.50 for a double shot sized drink, you would have needed a decent budget to get merry.

The bar wasn’t exactly lively which was a shame, as it lacked atmosphere.

The music also seemed to be ABBA, dance remixes of ABBA and a Madonna track that sampled ABBA, which did get a little tedious after a while.

As a brief experience, it was fun however! I am pleased to say that this item is ticked off, and whilst I wouldn’t rule out another trip to an ice bar for a special celebration with others; I do feel that I have ‘been there, done it and worn the tee-shirt now’ with this one. It’s not something I’d make a regular habit of doing.

]]>https://emmasbucketlist.com/2013/04/17/drink-in-an-ice-bar/feed/6ICEBARemmasbucketlistICEHOTEL Sweden by night. The darker blue arches on the left are UNIQUE ICEBARICEBAR LondonOur first round of drinks, and the Drinks MenuMy partner standing at the ICEBAR under the Chandelier made of ICEBAR glasses (over 200)UNIQUE ICEBAR, ICEHOTEL 23 (2013) SwedenStay at The ICEHOTEL, SwedenNorthern Lights over orange tentVisit Abisko National Park, SwedenHusky Racing / Dog Sledding in LaplandVisit the Real Santa in Lapland!The TOP of the Run Saariselkä, Finland's Longest Toboggan RunStay at The ICEHOTEL in Swedenhttps://emmasbucketlist.com/2013/04/16/stay-at-the-ice-hotel-sweden/
https://emmasbucketlist.com/2013/04/16/stay-at-the-ice-hotel-sweden/#commentsMon, 15 Apr 2013 23:17:28 +0000http://emmasbucketlist.com/?p=3129Ever since I watched James Bond movie, Die Another Day, I have wanted to stay in an ice hotel. It looked so decadent and beautiful. I remember being amazed to know that ice hotels actually existed, and right there; before my bucket list was even formally created, staying in an ice hotel was officially added to it!

The ‘Ice Palace’ featured in James Bond ‘Die Another Day’

Ice Palace Foyer and bar from the movie Die Another Day(Completely implausible of course)

Of course, the structure that Bond visited was an imaginative fantasy fabrication. The Bond Ice Palace, pictured above is (apparently) a polystyrene model. The structure was both structurally implausible and of course practically inconceivable to build such refined structures out of something as unstable as ice. It meant that any real Ice Hotel I was to visit would never truly match up to my Bond Girl fantasy, but it was still exquisite.

After researching which Ice Hotel to stay in, I opted forICEHOTELSweden, created from ice harvested from the Torne River on which it stands. It was the original as the world’s first, and is still currently the largest ice hotel to this day.

I think what I find most mind-blowingly special about Ice Hotels is their temporary nature… The fact that they are intentionally built at great effort and expense, fully in the knowledge that the structure will have completely melted back into the river from which the ice was harvested a mere 6 months after it opens it’s doors! Each hotel is unique and completely different from the last, with new features added each year. We stayed in Ice Hotel 23, created for the 2012-2013 season.

Ice Hotel 23 Sweden 2013

Ice Hotel Sweden opens its doors to guests just after Christmas and shuts again in Mid April. During this time, the Ice Hotel is already sinking into the River Torne, which is why room doors are curtains, and not solid doors in most ice hotels (as doors would become immobile with the movement of the structure).

Whilst I am pretty hardcore with some of the other experiences I have been lucky enough to have, I am a bit of a wuss with the freezing cold. I wanted to see an Ice Hotel, I didn’t particularly want to sleep on a bed of ice and snow with only a reindeer hyde and a sleeping bag to keep me warm, and didn’t feel overwhelmingly moved by the opportunity to earn a certificate to say I had ‘survived the night‘ in a cold room; so we went for the softer option in the warm and cozy alternative of a log cabin just a few metres from the main ice hotel structure.

That said, honestly, despite the frigid temperatures, I really only felt it at night when we were doing 65km per hour on a Snowmobile expedition in -22°C, and even then it was only my face and hands that felt the cold.

My partner had visited another ice hotel calledSnow Hotelin Snow Village, near Finland’s Kittilä Airport previously, and was disappointed with the exterior appearance of The ICEHOTEL, but absolutely blown away with the interior design, attention to detail and art work by comparison.

The Foyer looked lovely, with it’s ice desk, and the Ice bar off to the left (which you can read about in my next post: Drink Vodka in an ICEBAR), but through the double doors into the main corridor caused me to take a sharp intake of breath! It was a long ‘snice’ (snow and ice) corridor with further corridors of rooms off to the left and right and this amazing lounge area half way down

Me sat in the ‘ICEHOTEL 23’ Seating area.

At the end of the main corridor was an ice wall that allowed diffused sunlight through during daylight hours; bathing the feature chandelier area with an almost ethereal light. I honestly found it hard to tear myself away from each area as I tried to fully absorb the beauty and presence of the place. It is truly hard to comprehend or put into words which is why I have really decided to share this in pictures. I tried to take video-but have decided against posting that, as honestly-I just couldn’t do the experience justice!

Main Corridor and chandelier in Ice Hotel 23

My Partner underneath the Chandelier in ICEHOTEL 23

Northern Lights Suite

There were three types of cold room, standard rooms (pretty dull), Northern Lights rooms like this one to the left here which simulate the Aurora Borealis phenomena and were a new feature to the ICEHOTEL for this season; and Art Suites.

All of the art suites are unique and one-off, created by different ice sculpters abd artists Which It was hard for me to choose a favourite; but here are the three that for me are joint favourites:

The hotel interior is a constant -5°C regardless if the temperature outside (which was -22°C on our night there). Inside the room, it felt very quiet and still.

I have been asked how you wash and use the washroom if you sleep in one of these; you have a locker to pop your things in and a warm room set aside for you (should you not wish to stay the entire night in your cold room). Washroom facilities are in the adjoining warm building, so if you have an urgent call of nature to attend to, you need to climb out of your arctic sleeping bag, don your warm clothes and walk to the loo to relieve yourself. Downing a few vodka cocktails at the ICE BAR to dull the cold is therefore, not necessarily the best strategy if you don’t have a cast iron bladder!

There was also a beautiful ice church, so that guests may have wedding ceremonies at the hotel and an Ice Art Gallery building where art was on show both inside and out:

Inside the Ice Church, ICEHOTEL Sweden

Art Exhibition Centre:

So… Would you like to stay in an ice hotel? Have you already done so? …How was your experience?

Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments below if you are thinking about a visit!

Coming up soon: My posts on seeing the Northern Lights in Abisko, Visiting an African Orphanage, Going on a Driving Safari in Africa, Feeding Giraffes by Hand, and Festival Season is Almost Upon Us!

I knew before we even departed for our holiday to Lapland that I wanted to go husky sledging (by the way is it sledging or sledding-I never know?!) …I have heard AMAZING things about it, and have a slight fascination with huskies ever since I stumbled upon YouTube videos of Mishka the talking Dog:

About Huskies:

Siberian Husky with Blue Eyes

Siberian Husky (along with Alaskan Malamute, Greenland dogs and Samoyeds) is a recognised breed (and can therefore be registered), while Alaskan Husky is not recognised as a distinct breed and the term is often used more generally to describe dogs suitable for and used in dog sledding. Alaskan Huskies can therefore be quite varied in terms of their size, build, colouring, etc.

Alaskan Huskies are shorter haired and run faster than their prettier Siberian Husky cousins, which are the fluffier, prettier show dogs who run slower. The characteristics that make a good show dog are not necessarily the same as those which make a good working sled dog. Working dogs are bred and selected for qualities such as tolerance to low temperatures, stamina, good metabolism, strong paws, ease of training and (one of the most important qualities) sociability, both with other dogs and with humans. Show qualities are therefore not prioritised in the selecting and breeding of working huskies and the dogs most successful in competition sledding will almost never been completely “pure-bred”.Most of the dogs we saw at the Husky farm were not pure bread, as they are working dogs.

We were warned that the dogs would not be as fast on our day as they would be in ideal conditions, as it was a balmy -10°C, and the dogs prefer temperatures of -25°C for racing! …They are bread for living outside, and as such, these dogs are never sold or given away. Only staff and ex-employees or well-known locals are allowed to own retired dogs, as they do not want the dogs to end up in apartments or in a country where it is too warm for them.

Siberian Husky with almond shaped blue eyes

These dogs can run approximately 100km per day if trained. There is a famous husky race called 1000 Miles, which takes place in Alaska every February which is completed by the fastest team in under 10 days, and they reach speeds of up-to 40km per hour when temperatures are cool enough for them.

The huskies at this farm don’t run anything like these speeds or distances, since they do far more stopping and starting, and need to be rested between. They ran an average of 30-40km per day, with the team training the dogs from April-November and tourism accounting for the dogs exercise for the rest of the year. Working huskies at the farm retire after 8 years of running, though the older retired dogs are often used to help train the puppies and are re-homed locally.

The dogs clearly LOVE what they do and get very excitable before a run. On our taster day, dogs that were being rested were clearly itching to run, and were calling, howling and woofing excitedly to one another. It was very cute to watch!

Husky Racing Team Dynamics

Husky Racing Pack

Like people, not all dogs get along with one another. Some dislike one another intensely and will fight a lot. We were warned not to attempt to overtake other husky teams or get too close incase the dogs fought, as teams are selected carefully with this in mind.

When the teams are put together, there is a strategy to the position of the dogs, the order within the team pack is not random. The teams average 6-8 dogs, with the 2 fastest and most clever dogs leading the pack at the front, the next fastest behind them, and at the back, are the strongest and most powerful dogs. Often the less intelligent dogs (since they need no pack-leadership skills).

Husky Puppies!

Husky Puppy Kennel

We were lucky enough to be allowed to go to the puppy enclosure to pet the puppies that were currently being trained. At 4-6 months old, they weren’t exactly tiny, but we were warned not to let any loose items dangle, or to take anything too precious in, as the puppies were incredibly playful and naughty (in the cutest way) and would rip things apart quite easily… I had to launch my spare mittens over the wire enclosure from inside; as whilst I was petting one of these gorgeous pups, 2 of his cheeky friends came and tried to nip them away. This photo makes me giggle every time I look at it because the puppy I am petting is licking my face and the other 2 are busy trying to pinch a glove each!

We absolutely loved the ride and drive the huskies and the opportunity to learn about the huskies and how they are cared for. I have to say that there were pros and cons to this trip. The queues for the husky rides on the taster day (that everyone gets to do) were so farking huge, that we damn near didn’t bother. However, when we came off the snowmobile taster session, quite by chance, there wasn’t a queue-so. I’m SO GLAD WE DID! We managed to get a fantastic, albeit brief, ride with the huskies at the one time of day when there was actually enough light to see clearly (as you can see from the video above…

In the Arctic Circle, the sun never technically rises in the winter; so you only get about 2-3 hours of dim light in the middle of the day, and the rest of the time it was dark. As such, any pictures in this blog entry that aren’t taken in darkness are from the taster day, not from the husky farm.

On the husky trip day, we weren’t collected until about 3pm, when the last of the dim-light had already disappeared. The only light at the husky farm came from bulbs, and since we were driving the huskies through the forest it meant that we were doing so most of the time in pitch black, which didn’t offer us the best chance to enjoy what was a hugely expensive, and wonderful experience. This is why you won’t see any video’s of us driving the sledge during this experience.

Tips if you are planning to go yourself:

Book ASAP – We were advised to book up at the earliest opportunity since this is always one of the first experiences to sell out. We booked immediately after the welcome meeting, and I’m glad we did, because it was sold out before the taster day ride-despite the MASSIVE price tag-we paid 135€ EACH for adults and I think somewhere in the region of 85€ for our daughter!

Wear 2 pairs of socks and good mittens – your feet will get cold driving the sledge, and mittens keep your hands warmer than gloves

Don’t attempt to pet the dogs prior to the ride-they’re very excited before their run and could bite as a result

You will get a chance to drive the sled, if there are 2 of you, you can both have a turn.

Do pet them afterwards if you want – they will be contented and relaxed and happy to be stroked – but do prepare to smell very ‘doggy’ afterwards.

Don’t take loose items into the puppy enclosure-the puppies will rip stuff apart in their playful mood

Dont allow your dogs to get too close to the next pack – the dogs may fight

Dont let the sledge get too close to the rear dogs as you can damage their legs and send them into a long period of miserable recovery where they can’t get their usual excercise.

Following on from the my last post Visit the Real Santa in Lapland! Whilst at Saariselkä, we made use of the amazing Toboggan Run which is situated on a mountain (Fell/Fjell) that is also used as a ski run. We borrowed sledges from our hotel reception, free of charge, for a deposit of 2€ each. The run just 100 meters from the hotel, and is the longest toboggan run in Northern Europe at 1,200m long and a vertical drop of 130m! It took me FORTY-FIVE minutes to walk up to the top, and felt very deceiving as I kept thinking I was at the top only to realise I had ‘another section’ in view as I’d reach a false summit. It was definitely NOT something my 6 year old would have managed. It is a long way to walk all the way to the top so getting the bus to the top of the fell is a good idea if you are travelling with children.

My daughter and partner at the bottom of Saariselskä’s Toboganning Run at 3pm in the afternoon

We had hoped to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights when we went, and this was one of our motives for selecting Saariselska when we decided to visit Santa in Finland, as it’s considerably further North than Katitla. However, being a mountainous region, there is a micro-climate that often makes conditions difficult to view the lights as it gets very cloudy (you need clear skies to see the Aurora). When conditions are right, this is apparently a spectacular place to view them. The peak of the Fell is also meant to be the best place to view the Northern Lights if you do plan to try and spot them… Though the weather conditions weren’t right when we went. Apparently the best time to see them in Saariselska is February/March time, and between 11pm-2pm is the ideal viewing time.

Having walked 45 minutes to the top of the Toboggan run, it took me a good 5-6 minutes to toboggan down (granted I wont be breaking any records with that time). This is the video of my run (I only did it once).

This kid does it in just over half the time I did it in!

The fastest part of the slope is the bottom section which you’ll find easy enough to walk up, though it gets packed at the bottom, and navigation is hindered by masses of people in the way-imagine a game of human bowling, with people as pins and the sledge as your ball, and you have a good idea of what the bottom of the run is like. Getting further up the slope is advisable, even with children. The section just above the area where most people run is probably the best part of the run.

Snow Spray from my Togogganing

How to Steer a Toboggan:

DO NOT LEAN – I was pretty useless at steering a toboggan initially, and thought I was supposed to hold the string and lean my bodyweight to one side if I wanted to turn that way. This resulted in lots of screaming and scary moments where I thought I would wipe out the other people on the run, and a few well deserved sarcastic comments from people advising me to get LEARNER PLATES

My partner, who had clearly had lots more practice than me, and is annoyingly good at everything he does quickly taught me that this is how you steer and control a toboggan:

Sit in the toboggan with your legs out at the front, lay back and hold the straps

NB – Expect some snow spray to catch you in the face. The wider your legs are-the less you will catch (but the less dignified you will look)

Tips if you are planning a visit:

In order to reach the summit, you can either catch a bus from the town, or walk.

The summit of the toboggan run starts at the same place as the ski lift, but since the bottom of the ski lift is about 10 minutes walk from the bottom of the toboggan run it’s not ideal to use the lift, as it’s not a cheap option either.

There are plenty of sledges at the bottom of the slope, you just help yourselves (no hire charge, though you can expect many of these to be split or broken). If you’re going to the top of the run-take your own sledges, as it’s unlikely there will be any spares up there.

There is a cafe at the top of the run if you want refreshments up there.

]]>https://emmasbucketlist.com/2013/01/22/longest-toboggan-run-in-lapland/feed/6The TOP of the Run Saariselkä, Finland's Longest Toboggan RunemmasbucketlistThe TOP of the RunSaariselkä, Finland's Longest Toboggan RunOn the Run!My daughter and partner at the bottom of Saariselskä's Toboganning Run at 3pm in the afternoonSnow SprayL PlateHow To TobogganVisit the Real Santa in Lapland!Husky Racing / Dog Sledding in LaplandNorthern Lights over orange tentStay at The ICEHOTEL, SwedenEgypt (Part 1) – Hurghada, Makadi, Snorkelling and Kissing a CobraEgypt (Part 2) – Temple of Karnak, Valley of the Kings, Tutankhamen’s Tomb and Queen Hatshepsut’s TempleEgypt (Part 3) YALLA! YALLA! …Bedouins and an Egyptian Desert Jeep Safari3-2-1 BUNGEE!Me, Indoor Sky-DivingVisit the Real Santa in Lapland!https://emmasbucketlist.com/2013/01/18/visit-the-real-santa-in-lapland/
https://emmasbucketlist.com/2013/01/18/visit-the-real-santa-in-lapland/#commentsFri, 18 Jan 2013 23:53:37 +0000http://emmasbucketlist.com/?p=2810This year, my partner had to work away over the whole of Christmas. These magical Christmases with our daughter are not going to last forever, so rather than him miss out on the magic, he decided to book the three of us on a trip to Finnish Lapland to visit Santa before he left. We flew out with Thomson to Saariselkä, which was the most Northerly area of Lapland that they fly to (in the hopes that we’d also get to see The Northern Lights). The flight out was magical. The cabin crew were great fun, singing Christmas carols with the passengers, wearing santa hats and getting the Children excited by doing colouring competitions.

Our hotel at 3pm in the afternoon

It was very odd landing at 2 in the afternoon in the twilight. In the arctic circle in winter, the sun never rises in the Winter, and never sets in the Summer! In mid-December, there are about 2-3 hours of dim light during the day (though technically-the sun hasn’t risen), and the rest of the ‘day’ time is in the pitch black. It was -22°C when we landed and I vividly remember the cold temperature biting the inside of my nose like tiny sharp needles of stinging pain! …Oddly though, I didn’t feel bitterly cold all over-despite not taking a coat with me!

In case you think I sound like I’m barking mad for not taking a coat. Lapland Safaris provided all of our outer winter wear on a hire basis… All we had to take were thermal base layers, thick socks, scarves and hats. The gloves/mittens, boots and outerwear were all included in the cost of the holiday!

My daughter and partner Toboganning in Saariselska at 3pm in the afternoon

We stayed at The Snowflake Hotel (locally known as Hotel Riekonlinna). It had the best reviews for families in this area, and for good reason-as it was the only hotel with kids reps and family entertainment.

Once kitted out, we borrowed sledges from hotel reception for a deposit of 2€ each. The run just 100 meters from the hotel, is actually the longest toboggan run in Northern Europe at 1,200m long! It took me 45 minutes to walk up and over 5 minutes to toboggan down! (Post to follow)

On our second day (first full day there) we were taken on our Santa trip. Arriving to Santa’s pine forest in the dark and walking up the candle lit path with the flickering light dancing in the snow was just magical! Anyone would know we were about to meet the REAL Santa.

Arriving at Santa’s Forest in the morning at about 9am. It was actually pitch black, though this picture makes it look much brighter than it was

One of the Elves with our Daughter

We were met by Elves who pointed us in the direction of lots of fun activities including:

Learning about the Lappish Sami (pronounced Saa-mee) people and their traditional beliefs. The Sami people rely on Black gold (the forest wood) and reideer to make money. There are more Reindeer in the Forest than people, and the Sami people believe that once you cross the Arctic circle, you will come back in your next life as a Reindeer. We were given a special mark on our foreheads where our antlers would grow to ensure that we come back as Santa’s Reindeer. Our Daughter wasn’t terribly happy about this prospect, so she didn’t look terribly happy about her Reindeer markings in the picture below

My partner and Daughter with their Sami Ceremony Rendeer Markings

Sami Tipi – Where we attended the Sami Ceremony

Mini Skidoos

My 5 year old daughter driving a mini-skidoo

Snow Mobiles

Me driving the Snowmobile through the Forest in Lapland near Saariselska

The children rode in a sleigh behind the Snowmobile leader.

Husky Rides

This was my absolute favourite part of the day (aside from seeing my daughter’s face when she visited Santa Claus)

Resting Huskies calling and woofing to one another-they clearly love their life!

My family in the husky sledge, about to go dog sledding.

Our view during the husky ride

Reindeer drawn sleigh rides

My Daughter and I about to go for our Reindeer sleigh ride

My Daughter and I in our Reindeer Sleigh

During our Reindeer Sleihg Ride

One of the Reindeer. I love this picture.

Visiting the Blacksmith Elf

It was explained to the Children, that The Blacksmith Elf occasionally helps Santa to send some presents by magic Elf Dust power. The special Magic Elf Dust is thrown into the fireplace to magically transport the presents to their intended destination. The children were allowed to witness the magic in action and help the Blacksmith Elf to send some presents.

The Blacksmith Elf showing her Magic elf dust to the Children

The Magic Elf Dust in action!

My family and I, standingg with The Blacksmith Elf, outside her little cabin

and of course The Main Event, meeting the Big Man himself…. SANTA!

We were collected in a sleigh towed by a snowmobile for an exciting ride through the snowy forest. We had to sing Christmas Carols all the way-so that the magic of the Christmas music led us to Santa!

The Snowmobile Ride to Santa’s Cabin

My Daughter making a Snow Angel for Santa outside his Log Cabin

My Family and I, standing outside Santa’s little Cabin.

When we got there, ‘Snow Princess’, one of the elves, showed us into Santa’s work cabin where Santa was sat by a roaring fire. He chatted to our daughter for a good five minutes before reading her list with her, and then offering her 2 presents from his sack-one of which was on her list!

Santa reading our 5 year old daughter’s Letter in person

Santa Claus told her that she could open a gift from him. It was a game from the wish list she had handed him!

A family Picture with Santa

She was so thrilled, and awe struck by him. This really was the most amazing day of our entire trip. SO SO SOO worth the expense. It really is the most magical Christmas experience.

Coming up Next, posts about the Longest Toboggan Run in Northern Europe, our Husky Ride Day, and The Elf Adventure Day Trip

]]>https://emmasbucketlist.com/2013/01/18/visit-the-real-santa-in-lapland/feed/8Meet Santa in Lapland FEATUREDemmasbucketlistDSC_0221DSC_0499Our hotel at 3pm in the afternoonMy daughter and partner Toboganning in Saariselska at 3pm in the afternoonArriving at Santa's Forest in the morning at about 9am. It was actually pitch black, though this picture makes it look much brighter than it wasOne of the Elves with our DaughterMy partner and Daughter with their Sami Ceremony Rendeer MarkingsSami Tipi - Where we attended the Sami CeremonyMy 5 year old daughter driving a mini-skidooMe driving the Snowmobile through the Forest in Lapland near SaariselskaThe children rode in a sleigh behind the Snowmobile leader.Resting Huskies calling and woofing to one another-they clearly love their life!My family in the husky sledge, about to go dog sledding. Our view during the husky rideMy Daughter and I about to go for our Reindeer sleigh rideMy Daughter and I in our Reindeer SleighDuring our Reindeer Sleihg RideOne of the Reindeer. I love this picture.The Blacksmith Elf showing her Magic elf dust to the ChildrenThe Magic Elf Dust in action!My family and I, standingg with The Blacksmith Elf, outside her little cabinThe Snowmobile Ride to Santa's CabinMy Daughter making a Snow Angel for Santa outside his Log CabinMy Family and I, standing outside Santa's little Cabin.Santa reading our 5 year old daughter's Letter in personSanta Claus told her that she could open a gift from him. It was a game from the wish list she had handed him!A family Picture with SantaThe TOP of the Run Saariselkä, Finland's Longest Toboggan RunThe TOP of the Run Saariselkä, Finland's Longest Toboggan RunStay at The ICEHOTEL, SwedenEgypt (Part 1) – Hurghada, Makadi, Snorkelling and Kissing a CobraEgypt (Part 2) – Temple of Karnak, Valley of the Kings, Tutankhamen’s Tomb and Queen Hatshepsut’s TempleEgypt (Part 3) YALLA! YALLA! …Bedouins and an Egyptian Desert Jeep Safari3-2-1 BUNGEE!Me, Indoor Sky-DivingEgypt (Part 4) Dune Buggies, Quad Bikes and Camelshttps://emmasbucketlist.com/2013/01/08/dune-buggies-quad-bikes-and-camels/
https://emmasbucketlist.com/2013/01/08/dune-buggies-quad-bikes-and-camels/#commentsTue, 08 Jan 2013 23:37:49 +0000http://emmasbucketlist.com/?p=2546

After we had returned to Badawya fromvisiting the Bedouin camp by Jeep Safari(see earlier post), earlier in the day, the children were taken to see reptiles, a tortoise and other desert creatures whilst I went to ride a quad bike through the desert.

Quad Biking across sand dunes

All ready for my Quad Bike Safari

The minimum age for this was 16, which my 13 year d was slightly miffed about. I could have taken one of the children on the back, but since I had 3 children, I didn’t think this very fair. On the plus side-they really enjoyed seeing the lizards, python, tortoise, etc; some of which they were able to touch.

Meanwhile, I was scarfed up Arab style for my quad bike safari. I was shown how to use the quad bike, which took all of 20 seconds and then we were instructed to follow the leader in a follow-the-leader-snake of bikes. Initially, our tour guide indicated that we may be separated into 2 groups-one of which would be the faster drivers… Being the competitive girly that I am, I quickly found myself trying to race the others, and overtaking which I was reprimanded for.

In the end, we weren’t divided as a group, and we were all told to keep up with the leader. This was a blast. We powered through the desert, bumping over the sand dunes. Despite my head scarf and large sunglasses, my face was so caked in sand that I could feel it in my nose, my mouth, and pretty much everywhere else you could imagine, I found myself standing on the bike and squeezing with my knees like the tour leaders were, not to show off but to try and reduce the bumps to my but as we bounced hard over the dunes and the sand that could reach my face.

It was literally a strain to keep my eyes open and see through the clouds of sand (despite my making it into third position in the queue). The highest speed I noticed myself clocking was 64km per hour. I have to admit; at those speeds, I was rather glad I hadn’t taken any of the children on the back of my quad bike… We were wearing crash helmets, but most of us were wearing only shorts ad teeshirts, and at those speeds I hate to imagine what could happen if a child let go or had a lapse in concentration. I can definitely see why the age restriction was in place!

Camel Riding

My sons on their camels

Upon our return, our group were led off to ride camels, horses and donkeys. Camel riding is not the most comfortable ride in the world-I certainly wouldn’t fancy having to traverse miles and miles through a hot desert on a camel. Getting on was fairly easy, as they lie flat to the floor on their knees. However, has they stand, you are almost tipped off over the camel face first as it raises it’s front back legs first, and when it lays down again, you are practically catapulted off again as demonstrated by my younger son in the picture to the left here who is struggling to remain seated as the camel rises to stand.

…Quite funny to watch! Having observed this-I leaned away from this each time, pulling my daughter to lean with me (as she was sat with me). The camels were much cleaner than others I have seen abroad, and didn’t stink to high heaven either, which is always a bonus.

My daughter and I, and another child from our tour group riding camels

My sons riding away on their camels

Spider Car, Dune buggy driving

Us in our Spider Car/ Dune Buggy before our drive through the desert

Unfortunately, I think our tyre blow out on the Jeep safari, may have delayed our progress through the activities, and by the time it came to our spider car due buggy rally, it was becoming very dark. My family and I were all allocated a car with my younger son and daughter behind and my older son, Harry, and I in the front.

We alternated driving so that we both had a turn, and they stuck the high beam spot lights on our dune buggies on to improve our chances of seeing where we were going… I say improve because again, with the sand that was being kicked up, and the lack of natural light, it was incredibly hard to see anything except a vague haze of light from the sand and dust cloud (dune buggy) in front of us!

Me just about to drive

It was undeniably brilliant, but I was actually quite to get back to the camp after our 30 minute jaunt, as we returned under a black sky. I think this would have been such a better day if they had just collected us 40 minutes earlier from our hotel. This would have given adequate time to allow for any issues like the burst tyre we experienced on the previous Jeep Safari earlier in the day.

Oh well!

Driving a Dune Buggy across the desert by night

Evening Entertainment

We returned to eat an Egyptian barbecue with meats, flatbread, and salad and potatoes. The food was nice, but not amazing. After this, we were shown out to an circular arena area where we were entertained by loud Egyptian Music,

Belly dancers:

Whirling dervishes:

Whirling Dervish Show

and a strong man type of show where a heavy-weight man walked on broken glass and lay on a bed of nails.

This was a fantastic day out and compared to the other day trip excursions was great value for money… If you are thinking of booking-this companydo it for about £33 per adult and roughly half that for children under 13. I managed to include my 13 year old son in that price.

Hot Tip for Booking Tours and Excursions in Egypt (and anywhere in fairness)

I booked through Red Sea Holidays at the hotel and paid significantly more… In fact-I paid well over the odds for all of my excursions, as I discovered to my detriment when I went into Hurghada… Moral of the story? If you are staying at a Red Sea Hotel (I stayed at The Grand Makadi, but the same appies to Sunwing, Sunwing Waterworld, Makadi Palace and Makadi Spa) don’t book at the hotel-go to Hurghada town and you will pay about half of the price that you can bargain the hotel tour reps down to!

Having done a cultural trip to soak up some of the history of Egypt, we also opted for the ‘Badawya excursion’. This was an action packed itinerary that promised to excite and thrill, including a Desert Jeep Safari, a trip to a Bedouin camp, Dune Buggying in off-road spider cars, quad-biking, camel riding and horse riding by day, followed by a barbecue and belly-dancing and whirling dervishes to entertain us by night. I will cover the first two parts in this post.

We were collected from our hotel by jeep in the late morning and taken to Badawya camp just outside Hurghada. We were told to cover our legs and buy scarves for this trip which I did in advance, but in truth, they sold the scarves there, and it wasn’t necessary to cover my legs-as long as I didn’t mind getting sandy. To be honest, if you do mind getting sandy-this is the wrong bloody trip for you any way!

A Bedouin Family with my 5 year old daughter

Once scarfed up, we were herded back into the Jeeps, and bounced across the Egyptian Eastern desert for about 45 minutes to the Bedouin Camp. Bedouins are nomadic desert-dwelling arabs, rather like gypsy people. They tend flocks of goats, sheep and camels and tend to live in places in which the land is too dry to farm crops and travel to find forage for their animals.. They have few land rights, and although the Egyptian government allow them to travel and reside in Egypt, they must set up camp at least 50km from large towns, which made the Jeep safari a necessity as well as a fun component of the day.

A Bedouin woman making flat bread

The jeep safari was absolutely brilliant from the word go, well, actually from the word ‘yalla’… The children and I all spent our time laughing like hyenas as we were encouraged to shout

“YALLA! YALLA!”

which we were told meant ‘Faster! Faster!’ This was the source of much amusement. It was brilliant to race the other Jeeps across the desert to the mountains ahead of us.

Once there, we were told about the Bedouin people, who live very traditionally, without modern technology. They are only allowed to marry within the Beduin tribes unless they are prepared to cut ties with their Bedouin lives and identity. Any children born in marriages that are with non-Bedouins are not considered to be Bedouins. Girls are generally married off at the age of 14 or 15!

Traditionally, marriages are been between the closest relatives permitted by Muslim law. Cousin marriages are common, ideally between a man and his father’s brother’s daughter. Traditionally, a father’s brother’s son has first dibs on his female cousin, who has the right of refusal but needs permission of that son to marry anyone else. Although marriages to first cousins are desired, most marriages are between second and third cousins.

A Bedouin Well.Bedouins favour traditional tools

Marriages outside the extended family have traditionally been rare, unless a tribal alliances was established; and women (girls if we’re honest) are expected to be virgins when they were married. In a marriage it is important for the families to be of the same status. Having lots of children is considered a duty for Bedouins because the more members a tribe has the stronger it is. As such, if a woman is unable to bear children, the husband will likely take another wife, and can have upto three wives. This is acceptable since in Bedouin culture it strengthens you family’s tribe and increases your status.

I was fascinated by the marriage traditions, girls start to cover their faces from a young age, and a man will not want to marry a girl who is unattractive… In order to find a suitable wife, he will either need to catch a glimpse of her face at a Bedouin wedding, when the single girls are permitted to leave their faces uncovered… Or, when the girl reaches 14, her parents will hang a flag outside the tent that indicates there is a girl ready to be married. His mother will first go and approve the girl by having a look at her, and if she is deemed suitable, her son will go for tea at the family’s house… If the girl likes the man, she will add lots of sugar to his tea. She will briefly unveil to let him glimpse her face, and if he likes what he sees he will drink the tea and the couple will get married if he was able to drink sugared tea… If he doesn’t fancy the look of her-he will make his excuses not to drink the tea! YIKES!

Oscar the Camel, Chugging on a water bottle

Quick tyre change after we popped one of these bad boys!

In order to find water wells in the desert, the Bedouins will deprive a camel of water for several weeks, and once they are extremely thirsty, the camels will be released into the desert with a Bedouin man. When the camel starts pawing its hoof at the ground-this is an indication that there is water beneath. We were then introduced to Oscar, a baby camel who’s party trick was to chug on bottles of water that any tourists in the group were prepared to part with.

After our talk, we were offered Bedouin tea, which was fairly grim (in my opinion), and then allowed to look around at the camp, try freshly made flat bread prepared by some of the Bedouin woman and purchase Bedouin jewellery or natural home-made remedies that ranged from headache cures to aphrodisiacs.

Finally, we were bounced back across the desert to Hurghada, stopping briefly to repair a tyre that we burst on the way

Quick tyre change after we popped one of these bad boys!

Apparently this doesn’t happen as often as I would have thought during the tourist Jeep safaris. That said-they changed the tyre with lightening speed-so I have my suspicions they get through a lot of tyres.

While the tyre was being changed, we took the opportunity to have a quick family photo taken

]]>https://emmasbucketlist.com/2013/01/02/egypt-part-3-bedouins-jeep-safari/feed/6Jeep Safari Hurghada EgyptemmasbucketlistDSC_0468A Bedouin Family with my 5 year old daughterDSC_0493A Bedouin woman making flat breadA Bedouin Well. Bedouins favour traditional toolsOscar the Camel, Chugging on a water bottleQuick tyre change after we popped one of these bad boys! Quick tyre change after we popped one of these bad boys! While the tyre was being changed, we took the opportunity to have a quick family photo takenEgypt (Part 1) – Hurghada, Makadi, Snorkelling and Kissing a CobraEgypt (Part 2) – Temple of Karnak, Valley of the Kings, Tutankhamen’s Tomb and Queen Hatshepsut’s TempleEgypt (Part 4) Dune Buggies, Quad Bikes and CamelsAerial View of Big BuddhaVisit The Maldives for the 1st TimeP10100443-2-1 BUNGEE!The TOP of the Run Saariselkä, Finland's Longest Toboggan RunVisit the Real Santa in Lapland!2013 Bucket Listhttps://emmasbucketlist.com/2013/01/02/2013-bucket-list/
https://emmasbucketlist.com/2013/01/02/2013-bucket-list/#commentsWed, 02 Jan 2013 13:23:52 +0000http://emmasbucketlist.com/?p=2534

Top New Years Resolutions

So 2012 has passed and I have really surprised myself with just how much I’ve managed to achieve on my list! I still have several posts to write up including a trip to Finnish Lapland to visit Santa with my daughter. In 2012 I ticked off:

Switch off my computer and put away my phone (stop being so ‘connected to the rest of the world) when I want to spend quality time with my family

Soak up the good in everything I do-so that I enjoy the little things more

Buy a professional photographic shot of my children.

Visit an Ice Hotel

Go on a snowmobile safari

Visit The Ice Bar, Sweden

Go Skiing (so far I’ve only had one lesson)

Visit the Aurora Sky Station in Sweden to see the Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis

Visit Kenya, Africa

Go on a Safari in Kenya

Go Hang-gliding

Go on a Segway Rally with my girl-friends

Go to Glastonbury Festival

Go to Shambalah Festival

Go Hovercraft racing

Take my sons for a helicopter flight

Dine at The Fat Duck in Bray

Finish our Back Garden

Lose 20lbs

Exercise Regularly

Add 10 more items to my bucket list

Improve my Calligraphy

Finally hang some Art work in our house

Take up Yoga

Go to the Theatre to Watch an Opera

Take my Mum to watch Eddie Izzard live-she loves his stand up shows.

Reach 75,000 hits on this blog

Setting targets with a specific deadline is something I have so far resisted because I don’t like the idea of setting high expectations or putting pressure on myself, but in honesty, writing this blog and making my bucket list have really proved to me beyond a doubt that it has motivated me to stay inspired by having something concrete to work towards. If I don’t tick them all off-I won’t beat myself up-but I will have a bloody good go it, and I will have something to aim for.

My main resolution for 2013 is to be present and happy in everything I do and experience, rather than to focus on ticking off the items in my list in some over-ambitious frenzy. I want happiness to be my mode of travel, not the planned destination.

Happy New Year Bucket Listers!

]]>https://emmasbucketlist.com/2013/01/02/2013-bucket-list/feed/8New Years ResolutionsemmasbucketlistTop New Years Resolutions